Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Our lives are full of stressful situations. Whether you were trying to beat that April 15th tax deadline or didn't and now have to request an extension, chances are you were stressed out. Stress is recognized as the #1 proxy killer disease today. The American Medical Association has noted that stress is the basic cause of more than 60% of all human illness and disease. Below is a diagram showing you how stress can affect your body and some insightful stress facts that many people are unaware of. Don't let stress take over your life and ask us how we can help you out with Chiropractic care.

Fact #1 Your body doesn't care if it's a big stress or a little one. Regardless of the significance, stress affects the body in predictable ways.If these reactions are left unchecked we age prematurely, our cognitive function is impaired, our energy is drained and we are robbed of our effectiveness and clarity.

Fact #2 Stress can make people do stupid things. Stress causes what brain researchers call "cortical inhibition". This means that stress inhibits a part of your brain and you can't function at your best.

Fact #3 People can become numb to their stress. Physiologically we may be under stress, but mentally numb to it because we've grown accustomed to it. Although they may be small these stresses can accumulate and we may not realize how much they're impairing our mental and emotional clarity and overall health. This may show up as a bad decision, overreaction or an unwanted diagnosis at the doctor's office.

Fact #4 We can control how we respond to stress.

Fact#5 The best strategy is to control stress in the moment. Don't hold stress all the day and wait until after work to go to yoga or the gym to relief stress. By this time our bodies have already initiated the stress response and it is our overall health that suffers.

In Chinese thought there are many ways
of describing the world around us and our experience of it. One of
them is the model of the Five Elements, or Five Phases. I prefer the
term Five Phases because it denotes movements of energy over periods
of time as opposed to static building blocks of reality. The Chinese
phases are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. In a previous post I
described some of the qualities of Fire as it relates to the Heart
organ-meridian system. In this post we will explore the season of
Spring which is associated with Wood.

Wood Correspondences (in
Chinese Five Phase Theory)

Emotion

Anger

Yin Organ

Liver

Yang Organ

Gallbladder

Sense Organ

Eyes

Body Part

Tendons

Body Fluid

Tears

Sense

Sight

Taste

Sour

Life

Birth

Season

Spring

Color

Blue-green

Virtue

Judgment/Discernment

Direction

East

Climate

Windy

Movement

Upwards, Outwards

Spring is a time of birth and renewal.
It is the seed growing upwards and breaking ground. There is an
energy of bursting forth and moving upwards. The Yang Qi becomes
dominant, bursting out of Yin which has been dominant in Autumn and
Winter. The light begins to return, the days become longer, and the
temperature begins to warm. The state of expansive potential
associated with Winter shifts into the state of manifested potential.
The full realization of potential won't happen until the Summer.
There is still a quality of the unknown present in Spring.

Spring can be a difficult time for
people because of all the change and movement happening. After the
deep contemplation of Winter it can be a jarring shift to move into
Spring. The movement happening in nature can stir up Wind - both
metaphorically and literally. Things might seem like they're a little
out of control and overwhelming. People will experience allergies,
frustration, and a sense of being disoriented. All these things are
normal and by knowing what's happening in nature we can learn to
adjust to the changing seasons more easily, helping any physical
symptoms to become less severe.

The Liver likes things to be
consistent and organized. The Liver is associated with vision on all
levels (i.e. physical, having foresight for future projects,
opportunities, etc.). Because Spring is a time of change the Liver
can become irritated. It may be unable to see what will happen in the
future because the potential of Winter is still being shaped into
what it will become. It is analogous to the feeling that occurs whiel
driving behind a large truck and being unable to see the road ahead
of you.

Spring invites us to learn to move
with the currents of nature, to be okay with the unknown as it is
happening. Winter is more a time of deep contemplation where we learn
to sit with mystery and the unknown in a state of darkness, quiet,
and stillness. Spring is a time of driving 90 mph on a winding road
that we are unfamiliar with. In the Winter we use the time to discern
what no longer serves us and Spring is when we get rid of it all
(Spring cleaning). This process can leave us feeling raw, vulnerable,
and a little rough around the edges.

Finding things in our life that we
know will be consistent is helpful during Spring. Having an anchor to
hold onto while things are shifting and being let go of helps us feel
secure in the process. It makes change and growth more comfortable.

We want to put ourselves at the eye of
the storm where there is stillness as opposed to being on the
periphery where the tornado is blowing strong and we might get hit
with a flying cow. Focusing on the positive qualities that change and
growth will bring into our lives will help us allow it to happen with
less resistance. Asking where we want to go, where we see ourselves
going, and why we want to get there will help the journey be more
enjoyable. Spring and Autumn are all about the journey. Winter and
Summer are more related to the destination. They are the rest in the
light and dark. Spring and Autumn are navigating the old rickety
bridge between two mountains.

Self-Care Tips for Spring

Be asleep or in bed resting
between 11 am and 3 am. This is the period where the Qi is strongest
in the Liver and Gladder. It allows them to carry out their
functions of judgment, discernment, vision, and refurbishment. Less
sleep starting earlier will always be more beneficial than more
sleep starting later.

Contemplate or journal about
visions, dreams, what you want to let go of, what you want to bring
in to your life, and how those changes will help you be more content
in life.

Dietary support for the liver
requires to things: healthy proteins that allow the liver to
function properly and sour/bitter foods. A great combination is a
green apple, a little lemon juice, cilantro, and dandelion greens.
Be careful not to overdo cold, raw, bitter foods because they can
negatively impact digestion. If you notice coldness, loose stools,
cramping pain, or fatigue, it means you're probably overdoing it.

Be smart about detoxes, cleanses,
and fasts. The liver requires energy to work properly. Juicing
removes all the fiber from the fruit or vegetable which means the
body absorbs all the sugar very quickly. This leads to dangerous
spiking of blood sugar levels and is taxing on the pancreas. Juice
fasting may be helpful in serious situations but should not be self
prescribed and done with the guidance of a trained healthcare
professional. For most people having a healthy, consistent diet,
taking care of yourself, and getting adequate sleep is going to
allow your body and life to detoxify most effectively.

Create consistency in your life to
help the liver in this time of change. Go to bed at the same time.
Wake up at the same time. Eat at the same time. Create things your
body knows it can rely on. Create a feeling of safety in your life.

Be okay with feeling off balance
and a little confused during this period. You will get through it
and you will be better for it afterward.

This week we explored the energetic
movement of Spring in nature and our bodies. We looked at how
associations with Spring show up both literally and metaphorically in
our lives and bodies. Next week we will look at the biomedical
physiology of how the liver detoxifies our bodies as well as talk
more about allergies and how Chinese medicine helps with them.
Questions are always welcome.

About Me

Chiro-Health, Inc is a downtown San Francisco clinic providing expert care in chiropractic, acupuncture, massage and physical therapy specializing in spine pain, back pain, neck pain and extremity pain. We are passionate about bringing the wonders of alternative healthcare to as many people as possible